Headband and Hairsticks
by Cheetah Smith
Summary: Hiatus, because I fail. LoM. EscadxHeroine. Yes, really. A collection of drabbles and shorts that chronicle the romantic and otherwise relationship of a Holy Knight and a girl with silly hairsticks.
1. Story 1: Interest

I don't own Legend of Mana, for it rightfully belongs to SquareEnix.

The first of a number of EscadxHeroine shorts, drabbles, and stand-alones. Squee! Alas, there's such a tragic lack of this lovely, lovely pairing within the fandom. So instead of waiting around for somebody else to write EscadxHeroine, I'd figured I'd write my own. :wry, fangirly grin:

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**01. Interest**

To say that the young Liotte Holy Knight wasn't interested in that girl would be inaccurate. In all actuality, he was. He was just slow to admit it.

Escad eyed the blonde girl with the hairsticks curiously as she casually ambled up to him. She was, indeed, a pretty young girl, with a heart-shaped face, soft features, and bright blue eyes. She leaned forward, looking up into his gaze, mirroring his own curiosity until…

The girl leaned in a little closer, as if to inspect some secret detail he wasn't aware of. In response, the Holy Knight edged back, and started feeling a bit warm in the face. Ten years of being alone in the Underworld, and now staring right at the face of a young girl – a _pretty_ young girl who was getting a little close for comfort ­– was more than a little awkward.

As suddenly as she approached, the girl with hairsticks pulled back, grinned broadly and stated in a simple, casual manner.

"You know, I don't think you're as intimidating as you try to look, Mophead."

"I don't, huh?" he inquired

"Nah. I actually think you're handsome, though a bit grumpy-looking."

Escad didn't quite know how to respond to that. Instead, he gave a soft chuckle of bemusement and shrugged.

"Huh. You're interesting…"

Indeed, he was very much so interested in the girl with the hairsticks. And he just starting to admit it to himself. Hey, she's a pretty one, that's for sure.

END

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The first of possibly many drabbles, shorts, and stand-alones that explore the platonic, romantic and sometimes even sexual (to a modest degree) relationship of Escad and the Heroine.

The name and persona of the Heroine in this collection is the same one she has in _Saintly Sword Romantic Story_. These drabbles and shorts are more like spin-offs rather than being actually connected to the main story, and are more in-line with the events of the game. So while the same characterizations for the Heroine and Hero appear, it's not in any way connected to _Saintly Sword Romantic Story_. Also, "Anli Bolnivard" and "Kaleb M'avyare" are my all purpose characterizations for the Heroine and Hero, respectively.

The drabbles here are slightly different than the ones featured on my website, _Inner Universe_. Mostly because I cleaned up some the of grammar errors and so forth.

Anyway, with that said, expect more of these lovely pieces soon. Hope y'all enjoyed.


	2. Story 2: Memory

I don't own Legend of Mana. It rightfully belongs to SquareEnix.

The second in a number of EscadxHeroine drabbles, shorts and stand-alones.

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**02. Memory**

It was a blurry memory, faded and withered by the hands of time with a dusty sepia-hue overshadowing it. But he remembered it, regardless.

There was a voice that was feminine in nature, and sounded young.

"_**Escad!"**_

The voice called his name, as if to warn of an urgent danger – to call out in alarm and distress.

_**"Escad! Take my hand! Escad!"**_

Warmth and softness… A smooth, small hand grasped onto his wrist as he fell into the crevice, opening into the black. Something wet fell on his cheek, and he realized it wasn't his own tears as he dangled perilously above the opened abyss.

_**"I won't let you go, Escad! I won't let you go!"**_

_Matilda?_

There was a struggle to clamber up, and to get a foot hold and be pulled up by his rescuer. During then, she called to him yet again.

"_**I'm not leaving, Escad! I'm not gonna leave you!"**_

In that moment, he looked up. Blinded by the lantern light, he saw…

_Not Matilda..._

"_**I'm here, Escad… You're not gonna be alone anymore. You're not alone…"**_ Her voice had grown softer.

"You…"

He lost his foothold, and hung dangling above the foreboding shadow. His rescuer struggled to pull him up, but no avail… And then he fell, plunging into the abyss as his would-be rescuer helplessly cried out his name.

Escad stood near that very spot, ten years after the incident. The crevice had long since been filled in by mining activities and the occasional cave-in deep within the Ulkan Mines. He didn't bother to suppress a shudder caused by the stale, cold air as he gazed thoughtfully and quietly at the girl with hairsticks who lay unconscious on the ground. The same girl who, in the dim light of the lantern he carried, looked just like the one who would've saved him…

END

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The second of a series of drabbles, shorts, stand-alones and what-not that explore the platonic and romantic relationship between Escad and the Heroine.

This one here played with something of a "what if?" scenario – mainly the notion that the Heroine actually traveled back in time to witness the events that occurred in the Ulkan Mines during the "Pokiehl: Dream Teller" event, and that she had actually passed out when brought back to present time/reality. And most importantly, actually tried to save Escad from falling into the Underworld... On an additional note, this one is my personal favorite so far. I'm really happy with the visual imagery and "romance" factor. It makes me all fangirly. :)


	3. Story 3: Eyes

I don't own Legend of Mana, for it rightfully belongs to SquareEnix.

The third part of a series of EscadxHeroine drabbles, shorts and stand-alones.

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**03. Eyes**

It was a subtle thing that Anli had noticed about Escad. For anyone else, it would've been very hard to distinguish from the serious and stern expression he always seemed to have on his face. It wasn't anything threatening, nor cold or hostile… Just simply serious and almost grim. It was like he had forgotten how to smile and laugh…

Sometimes he didn't have any sort of emotion at all, especially in his eyes. _Particularly_ in his eyes. The turquoise-blue should've had life, feeling and a radiant soul, but instead.

She only saw pain and sorrow and loneliness in those eyes of his. And it was enough to make her want to cry as she clearly saw the hurt he was quietly shouldering behind a stubborn and rough façade.

The loss of a life and childhood he once knew. The loss of a love he somehow knew could never be. The birth of a harshness that should not have ever even existed in a inherently good and noble soul such as him. The loneliness of the belief that no-one really cared, and the shadow of a past that continued to haunt his waking days and resting nights. The reflection of intelligence, nobility, honor and loyalty deep within the icy barriers. And most importantly of all, a remnant of a deep sense of affection for those he loves and once loved and lost.

And _that_ was what she saw in his eyes – the same eyes that made her want to cry for the hurt young knight within them.

END

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Escad strikes me as the type of person who would deal with pain and hurt by bottling it up. Judging by his actions in the game, it's apparent to me that there's more to him than what's outwardly displayed. In my own personal view, Escad definitely appears to have been very affected by his past experiences, and as a result, he's carrying around a lot of hurt. In addition, he's (very poorly, I might add) trying to cope with it, but he's doing so in all of the wrong ways – such as pushing others away and convincing himself of all sorts of things that are, ultimately, unhealthy. So yeah, in short. He's a good although flawed young man who's been hurt. Not at all an intentionally bad guy. Feel free to disagree, but that's the way I see it.

As for the Heroine, it's implied here (and within the game) that she maybe an empath of sorts. This one's also been written from mainly her perspective, emphasizing how easy it is for her to clearly see (and possibly sense) how his experiences have affected him, and how much she feels for him – in both a romantic and empathic sense.


	4. Story 4: Family

I don't own Legend of Mana, for it rightfully belongs to SquareEnix.

The fourth of a series of drabbles, shorts, and stand-alones exploring the platonic and romantic relationship of Escad and the Heroine.

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**04. Family**

Bud and Lisa eyed the long-haired man sitting in the hearth carefully while Anli had skittered off to some other area of the house. The twins watched him glance around and examine his rather cozy surroundings before he noticed them. To their surprise, he knew their names. And when they asked, he simply replied that Anli told stories about the two of them and their antics.

Anli had returned with tea while the children and the Holy Knight were getting acquainted. The conversation that followed was long and pleasant, and it had allowed the young Liotte to get a glimpse into Anli's family life.

It was just her and the twins, just like she had said. A boy named Kaleb M'avyare served as a sort of surrogate older brother to her, and she herself was something like the twins' adoptive big sister. From the perspective of any adult – or a young man – it was a literal make-shift family of youngsters raising themselves.

Anli also apparently had an aunt in her childhood who took her in and raised, but that aunt had died some years back, leaving her to be alone.

_"Maybe that's why,"_ he observed mentally to himself, recalling a remark the girl had said to him some time ago. _"She wants a family."_

But looking at the twins, and their close bond with each other and with Anli, the corners of his mouth twitched and moved into an unseen smile.

"_But she already has one, right here and now. Just like I had one once…"_ His expression to one of nostalgia and a small bit of longing as he watched Anli and the elfin twins chatter, laugh, and bubble with a wonderful sense of infectious energy and affection…

Watching him from across the table out of the corner of her eye, Anli had noted Escad watching them, and smiled softly, more to herself and secretly to him than to Bud and Lisa.

To her, the Liotte Holy Knight was already a part of her family.

He just wasn't aware of it yet.

END

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Playing with the concept of family, here. Escad, it seems, lost his family after he fell to the Underworld. My best guess is that his parents died for some reason or another. Therefore, he has a home, but he really doesn't have a family. I think that he would want to be a part of one again (especially after spending all of that time pretty much alone in the Underworld). The Heroine, on the otherhand, does have a family. A make-shift family of, literally, a young woman, two kids, and whatever pets she may have, but still a family regardless. Put two and two together...

Also put in a bit of back story to the Heroine (at last!). The way I see it, she had someone take her in, raise her, and instill in her the meaning of giving someone with nowhere to go a place to call home and a family to love. …Yeah, like Bud, Lisa, and Escad.


	5. Story 5: Foreign

I don't own Legend of Mana. It rightfully belongs to SquareEnix.

The fifth of a series of EscadxHeroine drabbles, shorts, and stand-alones.

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**05. Foreign**

This feeling of contentment and peace was foreign to him. Mostly because he hadn't experienced it such a long time. He had almost forgotten it…

She leaned her head against his shoulder as they sat, resting after several long hours of travel and venturing along the road. Escad found that her hair was soft as it brushed against the skin of his arm, and he didn't feel tense. Anli then snuggled against him, resting the side of her cheek on his collar. He found that any sense of lingering doubt and sadness – no matter how minute – was chased away and scattered to the winds. She closed her eyes and made a small sound as she dozed off… A strange sort of comfort washed over him, as he almost automatically wrapped his arms around her, hugging her and pulling her closer to him.

Escad felt a strange and foreign feeling of contentment and peace as Anli slept in his arms as they stopped to rest after several hours of travel and venturing. It was a pleasant thing, and he didn't want it to end.

Now that, he too, was starting to doze off as well.

END

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Just a sweet little something – pure, unadulterated fluff. Of the fluff kind. Mostly from Escad's perspective. Hey, a pretty girl cuddling up to you and taking a nap must be pretty nice... But all and all, it has no special, romantic meaning. It's just... pure... fluff... I'm gonna die from the pure fluffy cuteness now. XD


End file.
